


Sociology of the Family

by Volcanic89



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Canonical Character Death, Family, Family Dynamics, Friendship, Grief/Mourning, Not Romance, but could be if you squint
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-19 00:33:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29617839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Volcanic89/pseuds/Volcanic89
Summary: After the Cell games Chi-Chi finds herself pregnant, without a husband, and caring for a grieving son who can destroy planets. She realizes that the idea of a perfect family may have to be redefined, if she wants to hold what's left of her family together.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 17





	1. Nuclear family

Chi-Chi sighed as she leaned against her shovel, wiping sweat from her face. The vegetable garden seemed impossibly large as she surveyed her days' work. It would not be long until harvest and she idly wondered if she would be in any state to actually harvest by the fall. 

Hands running across her stomach she tried to remember how long it was before her pregnancy with Gohan began to slow her down. Though she was younger then, and had a husband around to help her. One of the few times in her marriage that she had her husband around. Sighing, Chi-Chi returned to the garden directing her anger at problems she could solve. 

She had just told Gohan the day before that he was about to become an older brother. At four months she could no longer hide her condition. And a visit to the village doctor had confirmed this new baby was healthy and growing. Which had been a relief. As much as she dreaded going through a pregnancy without Goku, going through a miscarrige would have been much worse. There had been others between this new baby and Gohan, that didn't make it this far. 

After confiding this in Bulma she had confirmed that humans and Saiyans could make babies, but had a much higher chance of complications in early pregnancy. Though maybe it was just herself and Goku, since that jerk Vegeta managed to have a son. Chi-Chi was crushed, she had always wanted a large family, and having been an only child desperately wanted a sibling for Gohan. Though at least she didn’t have to feed a large half-Saiyan family. 

Sighing and stretching her back, she thought, she had wanted a lot of things. A stable income, a big family, a loving husband. Looking back at her empty house she felt the bitter feeling rise in her throat. Swallowing it she turned away from the garden and started back. Gohan would be back from his visit with Dende soon, and she had to get dinner started. 

Gohan, her little boy turned, serious young man. Every battle he returned from he seemed farther and farther away from the carefree child he had been. This battle he had come back eyes hard as ice. She barely recognized him. Crying she fell down in front of him full of conflicting emotions. Happy her son was home, devastated her husband was not. And relieved that it was not the other way around. 

Piccolo's hand on his shoulder. He told Goku would not be coming home. 

Again. 

They hugged each other and cried. And at some point Piccolo must have left. Because later when they walked hand in hand back into their home. It was just the two of them. 

Again. 

At the time she had kept it together as best as she could, at that point they thought, like his year in space it would be temporary. They could get along, just the two of them, until Goku was ready to be wished back. 

When Goku didn't come back the both coped in their own ways. Chi-Chi poured herself into housework, cooking, gardening. Anything productive she could do to take her mind off how empty the house seemed now. As if playing the perfect wife could undo her husband's decision. 

Gohan had thrown himself into his school work over the last few months. Leaving his room only to help her around the house and do errands in the town at the foot of the mountain. And while Chi-Chi was grateful for her son not going out and training she was worried that he no longer went out into the woods or played with his animal companions. 

When he had asked to visit Dende today he hesitated. Backtracking and explaining that if she needed him to stay home and study or to help in the garden that it was perfectly fine and he didn't need to go. Chi-Chi, despite worrying about having her son so far from home for the first time in months, smiled and told him to go. Glad he was visiting someone his own age, even if that someone was technically God. 

Chi-Chi turned away from the pot she was stirring as she heard the door open. "I'm in the kitchen sweetie she called, not wanting to leave the pots, covering all four burners unattended. She had not adjusted to cooking for only one half Saiyan, and realized mid cooking that she had made too much, again. 

She smiled as Gohan walked in, which quickly turned into a frown as Piccolo followed him in, ducking to avoid hitting his head on the door frame. 

"Mom I brought Mister Piccolo over," Gohan said quietly with a shy smile on his face. 

"I can see that'' Chi-Chi stood, hands on her hips. She hadn't seen Piccolo since they had summoned Shenlong to bring back Goku. 

To try, to bring back Goku. Her mind unhelpfully corrected.

"What brings you back to my house Piccolo?" she said, trying and failing to sound polite. 

Piccolo seemed taken aback, blinked, and took a moment before starting. "Gohan has informed me, you will be having a child." 

"Yes I will be, I don't see how that is any of your business, unless you're also planning on kidnapping this one." Chi-Chi snapped, "though it is nice you're giving me warning this time instead of just grabbing them and running away for a year leaving me a childless widow. Again." 

"Mom!" Shouted Gohan, looking horrified at her outburst. 

Piccolo seemed mostly unphased however. "It is not unfair of her to distrust me Gohan, and she is correct to judge my past actions." 

Piccolo took a breath before continuing. He had learned enough of Chi-Chi's body language in the last few years of training with the Son's to know he was heading into potentially dangerous territory. And he had learned enough patience from his fusion with Kami to know not to resort to yelling, 

"I ...." he started, "want to know how I can be of assistance." 

Chi-Chi's eyes narrowed, craning her neck up to try to stare down Piccolo and failing. "I do not need any assistance. Gohan and I have everything full and completely under control." She said and spun back around to her cooking. Furiously stirring. 

"From what I understand about human child bearing you will be needing extra assistance, and with Gohan needing to resume his training to control his new power, I can assist with physical tasks." Piccolo continued carefully watching Chi-Chi's back as her shoulders tensed when he mentioned training. 

"I'm sorry, what training..." Chi-Chi hissed. 

Piccolo's ears twitching as he heard the wooden spoon she was holding begin to splinter. He knew enough to know his words were not having the effect he had intended. He set his mouth in a line and tried to think of a way to diffuse the situation, though even with five hundred years of combined knowledge he wasn’t having much luck,

Gohan stepped towards his mother. 

"Mom" Gohan said, not shouting this time but clearly shocked by the way this conversation was going. " Mister Piccolo, just wants to help! He... he can come stay with us, like he did before the androids and...." 

"Help," Chi-Chi said, spinning on her heel, wooden spoon breaking in half in her fist and clattering to the floor.

"He can HELP, by staying away. Goku may have invited you into our home, to train for the androids, but he's not here anymore. You have no right to be here! You can help by staying away from my family. Gohan does not need your training. What has your training done except almost get him killed multiple times?" 

Piccolo winced and Gohan opened his mouth to form a rebuttal. But Chi-Chi held up a hand to stop him. She could feel it, all the bitterness, all the anger she had swallowed the last few months vomiting up out of her. She knew she was going too far, she could feel it. But she also could not stop herself. 

"Just because you hung around here freeloading for the last few years, does NOT mean you get to stay. Just because I let you train with Gohan and his father does not mean I will let you continue turning my babies into child soldiers. Just because you feel some kind of twisted affection toward my son does not make you his parent. You couldn't protect Gohan against Cell, or the Androids or Freiza. You couldn't protect Goku! What good are you? You can HELP us by leaving and never coming back." 

She breathed heavily, in the complete silence that followed. Gohan stared at her, his large eyes filling with tears. Piccolo narrowed his eyes and looked down at the floor. Chchi could hear the pots behind her boiling over but was afraid to break the tension by turning toward them. 

Piccolo was the first to move. 

" I understand," he said calmly turning toward the door. And walking out. 

Chi-Chi stood alone, all of the adrenaline rushing out of her. She had expected a fight, or a screaming match, or something other than Piccolo calmly exiting. She scrubbed her hands over her face. And turned back to her ruined dinner, all over the floor of her formerly pristine kitchen. 

"Piccolo!" Gohan cried tears spilling down his cheeks as he ran after him onto the lawn. 

They stood together on the lawn for a moment in the sunset. Awkwardly before Piccolo walked back up to Gohan. Casting his long shadow over him. 

"It's alright Gohan," Piccolo said putting a hand on his head." Your mother has made herself clear. I will keep my distance." 

"I'm sorry," Gohan whispered. It had been his idea to ask Piccolo to stay with them. He had thought, he had thought that, he had hoped that....

"I will be here when you need me," Piccolo said, removing his hand and flying into the fading light toward the Lookout. 

Gohan stood on the lawn. Trying unsuccessfully to stop sobbing. Wiping his face on his sleeve he hiccupped air. Why had his mom acted like that? How could she say those terrible things? 

She didn’t like Piccolo, he knew that, but he also thought she knew how much Piccolo meant to him! Was she trying to keep everyone he loved away from him? 

Gohan clenched his fists and tried to keep his temper at bay, to stop the red hot anger that was beginning to throb in his chest and flash red behind his eyes. He hated this feeling. He hated how powerful it made him feel. He hated that it had become disturbingly familiar to him lately. 

Back in the kitchen Chi-Chi took deep breaths. Trying to calm herself. It's not that she didn't think Piccolo deserved everything she had said, he did, at least some of it, probably . It was the way it had come out. And in front of Gohan no less. She began furiously scrubbing the oven trying to clean up the mess she had made. 

It was a long time before she heard the front door open and close again. Chi-Chi had gotten everything under control as best as she could salvaging what was left of the food and it was sitting in bowls on the table.

"Gohan, dinner is ready when you want to ...." she trailed off as her son walked wordlessly past the kitchen and into his room, slamming the door behind him. 

She started to object to the slamming but stopped. At least the door was still on its hinges she thought. Sighing to herself, she had slammed a few dors at Gohan's age. And over much less.

Chi-Chi began wrapping the food, and putting it in the fridge and cleaning the kitchen. By the time she was done the kitchen was spotless, but her son hadn't emerged from his room. She signed. ran her hands through her hair and turned to start tidying the living room. It was easier to focus on cleaning then it was to the regret she was beginning to feel for her outburst. 

Standing on a chair to dust the bookshelf Chi-Chi ran her hands along the thick spines of the photo albums she had put together. She had taken great pride in them, a record of her family, frozen in time in their happiest moments. Her father loved bringing his camera to every gathering so she had lots of photos of her, Goku and Gohan at picnics, birthdays and holidays. 

Her hand hovered over the most recent one, and she held her breath. She knew the last few photos in the book were of Goku and Gohan right before the Cell games. Smiling, with their absurd blonde hair. Catching fish and swimming in the lake near their home. She reached toward it and took it down. 

Sitting on the couch she opened the book from the last photo. Exactly as she remembered it. And began to flip backwards through it. Photos of the last few days before the Cell games were first. Followed by a photo of the birthday party they threw Gohan after he came out of the Time Chamber. 

A table piled high with presents and three different cakes, with Gohan in the middle, her and Goku on either side of him. She traced Goku's face with her finger, emotion welling up in her throat. It had been a great day, she remembered smiling. 

She turned to the next photo, and bit her lip. It was of Piccolo blushing purple as Gohan opened the present he had gotten him. Gohan looked delighted and Piccolo looked terribly uncomfortable. She remembered him admitting he had never given a gift to anyone before. She had suggested a book, and Piccolo had given Gohan some ancient Namekian text from the Lookout. 

She flipped through the next few pages and was shocked at the frequency Piccolo appeared. Piccolo and Goku, both smiling, showing off their drivers licenses. Piccolo's face looking horrified as Gohan showed him something in a human biology textbook. Gohan mirroring Piccolo's meditative pose on their lawn in his home made Namekian gi. Piccolo standing uncomfortable in Goku's clothes the time Chi-Chi had insisted she wash his cape. Piccolo growling as Goku tried to convince him for the millionth time to try eating solid food. 

When had all of this happened? In her mind the last three years had been a constant annoyance, having Piccolo show up and take her son and husband to train all day every day. In her mind Piccolo was still a threat to her family. But looking at these, it was almost like...

"He's part of the family," Gohan said quietly behind her. 

"Gohan '' Chi-Chi said, shutting the book quickly. "Gohan sweetie I..." she started and stopped. Wondering how long her son had been watching her. 

Gohan came around quietly and sat next to her on the couch. "I know you don't think, he has feelings,” Gohan said, voice thick with emotion. "But he was excited, about the baby, and worried about us, and worried about me, I think, he wanted to help….he doesn't have anyone." 

Chi-Chi put the photo album on the table. And wrapped her arms around her son as he continued, 

"He didn't have anyone other than me and dad, he doesn't have anyone to be sad with, like we do, he misses him too." Gohan cried into her shoulder. "And I miss dad, I really miss dad, but I also miss Piccolo, I miss seeing him like before." 

Chi-Chi hugged tighter as her son burrowed into her, face burning with shame. She was so ready to blame someone for potentially hurting her son. She ended up hurting him. 

"I'm sorry Gohan, sometimes I…..I get so sad, that I get mad. I get so mad I can't stop myself from saying and doing things, even when I know it will hurt people, especially when I know it can hurt people. And I get mad at the wrong person. I wasn't fair to you, or to Piccolo." 

"I get mad like that too sometimes," Gohan said in a quiet, almost inaudible whisper. " Mr Piccolo wants to help me train to be able to control it better." 

"I think I could use some of that training too," Chi-Chi sighed, kissing Gohan on the top of his head. " I think tomorrow after we go into town, I think I owe Piccolo an apology." 

"Really," Gohan said looking up at her. 

"Really," Chi-Chi said, thankful her son had been willing to come to talk with her after her outburst. And had confided in her. 

"Now I can heat up what's left of dinner if you'd like..." 

"That would be great mom" Gohan said, springing up and heading towards the kitchen. 

_“Well he may get his appetite from his father_ , _”_ Chi-Chi thought as she took her time getting up, and following her son toward the kitchen. “But he gets his temper from me” 

They ate quietly together trying and failing not to notice that one chair was still empty at the table. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you had told me when I started watching Dragon ball that I would be interested in writing about Chi-Chi as a central character I would have been shocked.
> 
> But as I have gotten older I definitely identify with her more. And as I cleaned my apartment furiously to avoid thinking about quarantine, or the general state of the world, missing my family. I thought that I understood her maybe a bit more. This will probably be two chapters, unless sit gets away from me and becomes three.
> 
> Who knew it would be the year long anniversary of a global pandemic that got me back writing fanfiction. Also it is not edited so any notes are appreciated.


	2. Single Parent Family

After trying to and failing to fall asleep, Chi-Chi had rehearsed various apologies in her head. She knew if she didn’t prepare, Piccolo would manage, somehow, to get under her skin and make her say something she’d probably be forced to apologize for again.

By the time she had finished making breakfast, eating breakfast with Gohan, washing dishes, writing her shopping list and getting dressed a day in town she had the apology mostly rehearsed. Though she still wondered how to diplomatically, but firmly tell Piccolo her son didn’t need further training and he was handling his power just fine.He hadn’t so much as broken a glass since his first week out of the time chamber. 

The way Piccolo talked about Gohan’s  _ power  _ the other day made it sound like her child was some kind of adolescent time bomb. She bristled. Gohan was a caring and sweet boy, who would focus on his studies and spend SOME leisure time with Piccolo for the purposes of health and fitness. And absolutely not do any sort of active combat training. Which was a fair minded and reasonable compromise by anyone’s standards.

“Gohan you’d better be ready, I want to get your new textbooks from the post office before there is a line.” She called from the hallway.

The sound of thumping feet preceded her son’s unmanageable hair followed by a decently groomed Gohan in a button up shirt and slacks.

_ I’ll have to give him a trim soon,  _ she thought. _ Though he may want to wait till we can visit the city for something more fashionable _ . _ He was almost a teenager after all _ , thinking back to her own teenage years longing for Goku to come back and notice that she had become a proper young woman.

“Mom, are you ready?” Gohan prompted from the door.

“Oh, yes” she said, snapping out of the past. “We’ll use Nimbus today. I don’t think I have it in me to walk to and from town.” She said absentmindedly rubbing her stomach. 

“You’ll still find Piccolo for an apology right?” Her son implored looking her directly in the eyes.

“Yes, of course,” she said, surprised at how direct Gohan was being. “Well, to be honest, I was hoping he could come to us for that,'' she sighed. “In my condition I can’t be visiting the various wastelands he may or may not be in”

Gohan paused before nodding. “That makes sense. I’m sure he will come if I ask.” he smiled up at her. 

Stepping outside they called the nimbus and Chi -Chi noted with satisfaction, and some relief that she still could sit on the little cloud even after yesterday’s outburst.

The village at the foot of Mount Paozu was small, and getting smaller every year as the younger generation left for the allure, and the job opportunities of a city. Chichi remembered that even by the time Gohan was born there hadn’t been enough children in town to have a proper elementary school. Not that Gohan would have thrived in a conventional village school. He was well beyond his peers in every subject she thought with pride, even with consistent, training based, interruptions to his education.

She looked at her son walking next to her carrying the heavier groceries, and a package of advanced physics textbooks, and imagined that his future also was in a city, doing groundbreaking research, being a respectable member of society and leaving these traumatic years and small villages far behind him. She sighed wistfully. Of course he’d also call his mother and younger sibling multiple times a week to check in on them back home. This was her fantasy after all.

The village was small so of course gossip was to be expected but Chi-Chi wished she had the foresight to wear something looser. While she was not immediately identifiable as pregnant she could tell from the whispers and glances as she left the store and headed towards the small pharmacy that people were putting two and two together. 

In town. Pregnant, with her son carrying her groceries, with no husband in sight. For the second time in as many months.

She wished she could just scream to anyone who was staring, that she was a widow, that her husband had died saving their sorry behinds from a powerful monster that would have killed them all without a second thought. And this wasn’t even his first world saving sacrifice, thank you very much. Though she couldn’t imagine an outburst would make things any better, and worse and she couldn’t risk embarrassing herself and needing to go to a further village for necessities.

She smiled at Gohan who she hoped wasn’t as aware of the attention they were attracting.

Gohan was looking intently at the ground. And Chi-Chi thought that maybe he was just embarrassed to be seen with his mother, he was at that age where he was ready to be more independent. That hope disappeared as she heard someone behind her speak in an audible faux whisper. Head whipping around she narrowed her eyes at the two older women she recognised as locals.

“Oh look, her husband isn’t here, again. Probably off `` training''. Luckily she has her son to be the man of the house since she can never convince her husband to stick around”

Chichi gripped Gohan's arm and held her head high . Ears burning with shame she did her best to project an air of detached placidity and grace befitting a former princess such as herself. A princess, and not a former warrior,who wanted to leap over and punch the smile’s off their smug wrinkled faces until teeth were littering the ground. She managed to keep her composure even as their high pitched laughter followed from behind them. 

She tried to walk forward but found resistance, as Gohan remained rooted in place shaking.

“Gohan... sweetie” she said in her gentlest voice. “Keep walking with me okay.”

She could see his mouth moving but had to strain to hear what he was saying. Eventually she heard what, over and over, like a mantra, her poor son was repeating.

“It’s my fault, it’s my fault, it’s my fault”

Her chest opened up and her heart dropped out.

“Gohan,” she started and stopped when she noticed his hair, flickering gold at the ends. “Gohan it’s okay, I need you to calm down.” She said more insistently, louder, as she watched his eyes flash from black, to blue, to teal “Gohan it’s not, they don’t know what they’re....”

And then the world went silent.

And then the world exploded in terrible light and sound.

And her son was in the centre of it all

And Chi-Chi wondered idly if her last thought was going to be that Piccolo was right.She felt herself being pushed backwards and braced herself for an impact that never came

She stood as best she could trying not to collapse. She couldn’t feel chi but she could feel whatever this was. Thick and ominous like the air before a thunderstorm, before the sky opened up and drenched the earth, an ominous pressure. She had never been around so much raw power at once and was immediately overwhelmed. Was this what the battles Gohan and Goku had been going into all these years felt like? The energy began to remind her of the mountain made of fire she’d grown up on. Wild and uncontrollable. Powerful and deadly. 

She got her footing and checked herself for injury, she hadn’t fallen hard or hit anything too large, her side was a bit bruised, and she couldn’t remember how that had happened. She’d been more pushed away then flung by the force.Both hands flew to her stomach and when she felt a strong kick she immediately let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. One child was fine. But her other one.

Well. She was at a loss

Every instinct in her as a mother was to run to her child, to embrace him and comfort him. But she couldn’t. Physically she could barely stand let alone move toward the area where Gohan stood. She tried yelling to him but the words whipped back in her face, she could barely hear herself over the noise of the unnatural wind kicking up around her.

He continued to stand there. Shining brilliantly, dangerously, motionless. Her son was a thunderstorm. And she could only hope that something would break the pressure still building before he exploded again.

Piccolo had sensed Gohan’s distress through their mental connection earlier and had immediately taken off from the Lookout. He had meant to try to heed Chi-Chi’s request, but he had also promised Gohan that he would be there if he needed him. He had sought his student out a few times in the last few months when he felt Gohan’s mind heading in a dark or dangerous place. Usually meeting the kid in the woods by his home to work on his breathing, meditation and send mental reassurance to him. They had done so in secret up until now, Gohan unwilling to further worry his mother and Piccolo not especially wanting to bring Gohan’s continued training to her attention unless necessary. 

This was different. He hadn’t felt this level of distress this profoundly or quickly from his friend before and his chest ached painfully as Gohan’s residual emotions flooded into him. Shame, guilt, and a crushing sense of responsibility. 

Mid-air stars exploded behind Piccolo’s eyes as he felt those feelings multiply and detonate into raw power. Piccolo’s ears rang and his teeth ached as he felt the amount of chi radiating from where Gohan, whose power level was already raised high enough to destroy a decent chunk of the planet, was amplifying by an order of magnitude. 

He pushed his body to go faster even as his head and heart pounded. He clenched his fists and hoped that he could get there soon enough to stop Gohan from reaching an edge that Piccolo could not pull him back from. 

Chi Chi closed her eyes summoning whatever power she had, ready to dash forward and throw herself at Gohan and hope for the best. But before she could even step forward she felt a hand on her shoulder and a strong body steadying her. When she turned around to look all she could see was white. And she wondered momentarily if she had gone blind. She could hear a sound like wings pounding next to her. And immediately worried that this is what dying looked and sounded like. But the whiteness moved and she realized it was Piccolo’s cape wrapping around her. Which was oddly, comforting. She could see him clearly now through the fabric that was whipping around in the unnatural wind. 

His face was normally composed and Chi-Chi realized how scared Piccolo must be to look at her with such obvious concern.

“He…” she screamed against the wind and the fabric, not caring if Piccolo didn’t need the extra volume to hear. “He needs help! Please help him.”She finished collapsing into Piccolo’s chest. 

“I will do my best,'' she felt him speak more than she heard him. Chest rumbling with his serious deep voice.

Face set in determination Piccolo took hold of her gently and set her down on the ground.

“Stay low it will be safer”

She nodded. Watching as he took off his cape and turban and set them down next to her as he began to walk towards Gohan.She took the cape in her hands clutching it like a talisman. Her son believed wholly and completely in Piccolo and in this moment she did as well.

Gohan was on fire. Every nerve in his body was on fire. And he wasn’t sure where he was, or how he had gotten this way, maybe he had always been like this? Had it always hurt this much? Had there always been this much power? 

He wanted his mother, but he couldn’t feel her hand holding his anymore. And he wondered if the same fire that had set him ablaze had burned her up as well.

He wanted his father, but his father wasn’t coming. He was never coming again. His father had died and his father had stayed dead.

And people would point at him and his mother and his new sibling for the rest of their lives. And when they started they would know that it was his fault his father was never coming home. 

Red pulsed behind his eyes and pressure built like a tornado in his chest and he wanted nothing more than to take the fire inside him and burn everything to the ground. And maybe then it would leave his body and brain alone. 

Piccolo winced as he felt parts of his skin beginning to blister and eventually burn from the chi radiating off of Gohan, like heat from a sun. His natural healing would take care of it in time and even if it didn't, no amount of physical pain was going to stop him. Not when Gohan needed him. 

_ Still feels better than dying  _ he thought grimly as he trudged forward. 

As he walked he reached out to Gohan mentally trying to let his student know he was here, but encountered a swirling tangle of emotions that threatened to drown out Piccolo’s own mind if he wasn’t careful.He began to feel hopeless that even if he reached Gohan he would even be incapable of helping him. How had he not noticed he was in this much pain? How had he not stopped this before it got to this point? Piccolo had failed to protect Gohan again. 

Piccolo walked forward inch by painful inch until he was within reach of his student, his best friend, and the light of his life. Summoning everything he had in reserve and wrapped his arms around Gohan in an embrace. Clutching Gohan to his chest even as his skin turned black and flaked off from the contact. He put a hand on his blonde hair and started running his claws through it, the same way he did when Gohan had been a small child. Piccolo held on and began praying to Dende, that against all odds, this was going to work.

Gohan felt Piccolo approach. And tried to warn him, that if he came near him, that Piccolo would die. But his mouth didn’t work, he didn’t know how to make his muscles work to stop him, and he couldn’t warn him, and Piccolo was going to get hurt and it would be all his fault again. He closed his eyes and tried to focus on centring the uncontrollable energy in his own body. Trying to make sure it didn’t lash out at Piccolo, but he couldn’t do it. It hurt too much and it was too hard and once again he was too weak and he was going to kill Piccolo and it would be all his fault.

His thoughts cut off abruptly as Gohan felt the strong arms wrap around him, felt himself being pressed into Piccolo’s solid chest, he felt Piccolo’s chest rise and fall as he breathed in and out and heard his strong, and still beating heart. 

_ Match my breathing _ . He heard and felt Piccolo speak in his ears and his mind all at once. “Match my breathing” 

And Gohan tried, he tried as hard as he could, but his mouth wouldn’t work and the pain wouldn’t stop and... He felt the hand on his head. Heavy and reassuring. Gohan began to take shaky breaths in and out. Trying to match Piccolo's steady breath, trying to focus on the pressure of his arms around him and the soothing claws on his scalp. 

From Chi-Chi’s vantage point she could see Piccolo reach Gohan and wrap him in a hug. The hug she had so desperately longed to give her son. She had never seen Piccolo show any kind of physical affection toward Gohan before. She actually was stunned that Piccolo was capable of being so gentle, especially as she saw more of his skin burn away under the sheer force of Gohan’s power. She could not shake the feeling as she watched them, that everything would be okay.

Piccolo felt Gohan power down slowly, painfully slowly. Until eventually, after an eternity of seconds, his hair began to flicker between gold and black and his mind stopped broadcasting waves of panic and guilt. Piccolo saw some of the tension leave the small body he still held in his arms.Piccolo began to establish a tentative mental connection with Gohan, to send reassurance to him, hoping the sensation would soothe some of the remaining psychic distress and make up for his inability to say how relieved he was that Gohan was safe, and alive,out loud.

Gohan looked up at his, black eyes blown wide with exhaustion after that raw display of power. 

“Don’t leave.” He whispered desperately clutching at Piccolos gi like a lifeline. Please don’t leave me.”

“ I won't,” Piccolo said and thought with equal seriousness.  _ I won’t.  _

Gohan smiled and fell into Piccolo sound asleep.

Piccolo heard a shout from behind him but couldn’t decipher what was said, his ears still recovering from the past few moments. He turned his head in time to see Chi-Chi barreling towards them and had only a second to brace himself as she launched into Piccolo wrapping her arms around him.For a moment they sat there. Piccolo holding Gohan, Chichi holding Piccolo and the townspeople stunned, and bruised, beginning to pick themselves up from where they had been flung like rag dolls.

Piccolo blushed purple all over and cleared his throat. Why was she hugging him?

Chichi jumped off Piccolo, embarrassed at her outburst and put her hand on her son's sleeping body. Almost crying with relief as she felt his deep breaths. 

“He’s okay?” She turned to Piccolo, eyes wet with tears.

Piccolo nodded. 

“He’s okay!” She screamed bursting into happy sobs.

Piccolo nodded again, confused at the crying, since Chi-Chi was clearly happy at the outcome. But relieved she was no longer trying to hug him.

Piccolo surveyed what was left of this area of the town. As far as he could tell no one was seriously injured, but the buildings and trees lining the road had taken some serious damage. Piccolo did not want to be present when the humans that lived here got their bearings and came looking for someone to blame for this destruction. He was a much more obvious target to pin the carnage on than a twelve year old, now sleeping boy. 

Chi-Chi followed his gaze around the battered area of town. She looked up at Piccolo still holding her son delicately in his massive arms. Gohan, asleep and blissfully unharmed by his outburst. She looked at Piccolo who had not been as lucky. His gi was ripped and his exposed skin was covered in alternating blood, burns and blisters. “Are you going to be alright?” she asked, trying not to sound as concerned as she felt over his injures”

“These are nothing” Piccolo scoffed “they’ll heal shortly”

Well that’s handy Chi-Chi thought. “So you can fly then?” 

Piccolo nodded. 

Chi-Chi nodded back “We should probably get Gohan home and comfortable before he wakes up,I can take the nimbus,” she said, gesturing to the cloud that was rapidly approaching in the distance. “Can you bring Gohan?”

Piccolo nodded again adjusting his grip on the boy.

Chichi signed, she was afraid to let her son out of her sight but resigned to the fact that Piccolo had a better handle on this then she did at the moment. And aware of how at peace he looked.

“I’ll see you at home then” she said to Piccolo as she settled herself on the nimbus.

Piccolo looked completely taken aback as he sputtered “Yes, at home” as he launched into the sky toward the small house at the top of Mount Paozu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I was writing the skeleton of this fic, this chapter was just written as "insert dramatic part here" And so it goes, from two chapters to four chapters since I felt like the dramatic part needed a bit of room to breathe. 
> 
> There's a bit more of Gohan and Piccolo's perspectives in this chapter and the following ones so please let me know how you feel I did with that. 
> 
> Till next time


	3. Chosen Family

They sat together awkwardly in the kitchen, Chi-Chi couldn’t help but notice how out of place Piccolo looked, even without his cape. He was clearly trying to make himself as unobtrusive as possible but still dwarfed the furniture and was positioned awkwardly in a chair that was, for him, child sized. He had been in the kitchen before of course, but the poise and ease he displayed around Gohan and Goku seemed absent. Chi-Chi bit the inside of her lip, a conversation was coming, or a lecture. Today’s events had turned her simple apology into a much larger discussion between them regarding what was going to be best for Gohan going forward. She could no longer pretend she was going to be able to parent safely, or effectively without Piccolo’s help. She was anxious about giving up any conversational territorial advantage she may achieve by leaving the kitchen. 

Piccolo was extremely uncomfortable. He had placed Gohan in bed and tried to wait outside the bedroom window for him to wake up. But Chi-Chi had blocked his escape route by standing in the hall and asking if it wouldn’t be more comfortable to wait in the kitchen. Piccolo had of course said no, it would not be, but she just smiled and led him by the arm to the kitchen table. And now he was here, untouched cup of tea in front of him, nervously taking stock of the various cooking implements that were likely to be thrown at his head. He tried to slip into a light meditative state but the humming of the electric current through the appliances and Chi-Chi clenching and unclenching her jaw were incredibly distracting. 

Chi-Chi glanced back at Piccolo knees awkwardly splayed as he tried to fit all seven and a half feet of himself into his chair. She sighed, and gestured toward the porch. “We don’t want to wake Gohan we may as well speak outside” 

Piccolo unfolded himself as gracefully as he could ducked, again, to get through the doorways and walked onto the lawn. Instantly feeling more at ease. The last thing he wanted to do was have a conversation with Chi-Chi. He did not envision it going better than yesterday but he needed to stay and make sure Gohan was fully recovered. And if staying for Gohan meant hearing more harsh truths from his mother he could handle them. He knew she could be reasonable when presented with evidence and hoped the fear of today’s events replaying had led her to reconsider his offer of training. Then again maybe she would double down on deciding Piccolo was a terrible influence and this was all somehow his fault. Chi-Chi, was the only person he knew who could be as stubborn as he was, discounting Vegeta, who was more stubborn than both of them combined. Piccolo also knew from past experience, Chi-Chi had a hair-trigger temper and one wrong move would set it off. Combined with Piccolo’s own volatility and Chi-Chi’s already unpredictable emotional state from what happened with Gohan earlier, he was in an emotionally complex and delicate situation. Piccolo was hopelessly out of his depth. 

Chi-Chi watched Piccolo walk outside and part of her hoped he would just fly away. And Gohan would wake up and be fully recovered and in control and they could just never speak about this again. But she knew that was about as likely as Goku walking back through the door and asking about dinner. Besides, even Gohan never had another outburst, who knew what kind of power her next child would have. Chi-Chi hated admitting how in over her head she really was. And hated even more that she had been actively trying to disenfranchise and push away the one person who could help her and Gohan and had even offered to help without prompting before she had exploded at him. 

Out on the lawn they faced one another, air thick with tension. Chi-Chi tried to remind herself that she was the adult in this situation and she should start. Piccolo for all his height and muscle was an overgrown teenager. A very taciturn and surly, overgrown, teenager, one without a proper upbringing, possessed poor conversation skills, and a bad attitude. Who had, admittedly, just saved her life, and probably her son’s life, and probably the lives of everyone in the village. 

Piccolo glared Chi-Chi paled, could Piccolo read minds? Was that just Tien? Why didn’t she keep a list of her husband’s friends' weird powers? 

“You’re staring,” Piccolo said uncomfortably shifting crossing his arms. He was used to humans staring of course, but he wasn’t entirely sure why Chi-Chi was looking at him like she had never seen a Namekian before. 

“ Ah, yes,” she went from pale to flushed, “ just figuring out how to, um properly thank you for your help today.”

“Don't,” Piccolo said. 

“Well NO, I will properly thank you, you saved my life and Gohan’s life and the life of whatever I’m going to name this new baby and probably the lives of those judgmental village people” Chi-Chi stopped herself, why was she sounding like she was scolding him? Why couldn’t she just talk to Piccolo normally? She seemed to default to scolding.

Deep breath, try again. 

“Thank you,” she said bowing as deeply as she could manage“ thank you for saving us.” 

When she stood back up Piccolo’s face was purple to the tips of his ears. Oh he looks sort of cute like that, she thought, she has never seen Piccolo so flustered. 

I .... don’t ... it was...I needed to….” Piccolo grumbled. “It …..was for Gohan.” he ground out finally. Still flushed purple. 

Chi-Chi nodded. “Furthermore what I said yesterday, that was out of line. I'm sorry for that too.“ Piccolo looked skeptical, or at least Chi-Chi thought he looked skeptical. Without eyebrows it was harder to tell emotional nuance. 

“What you said was correct,” He said quietly. 

In truth what she had said was no harsher than what Piccolo knew to be true. When he had started training Gohan as a child he didn’t care about the traumatic effect he was having on him. He hadn’t even been fully aware that his method of training was not the absolute ideal in child rearing, based on the memoirs of his own childhood and the childhood of Kami. Months alone in the wilderness, and months of ruthless training built strength. All Piccolo had cared about was strength, why should Gohan be trained differently? That strength had come at a cost Piccolo had not been willing to grapple with, both to his original self, his current self and at a cost to Gohan. And while it had not broken Gohan, Piccolo regretted his past choices constantly. He knew that one day Gohan would realize the damage Piccolo had inflicted on him and resent him for his interference in his otherwise happy childhood. That what he had done to Gohan was unforgivable by human standards and he would spend the rest of his life trying to make it right, or for as long as Gohan could stand his presence. 

Chi-Chi took a deep breath and remembered what she had planned to say to Piccolo in apology. Then she looked at the genuine pain on his face and decided she needed to speak honestly. “It was correct, but it was unfair. I want my family to live normal peaceful lives, sometimes I forget that the choices we need to make aren’t normal. If we were normal people those things would be unacceptable, though if we were normal people you wouldn’t have had to choose between kidnapping my son or fighting my brother-in-laws alien friends alone. If we were normal people you wouldn't have been born trying to kill my husband and my husband wouldn’t have needed to kill your father.” She looked at him and smiled bleakly “ maybe for people who summon wish granting dragons, and for people who grew up isolated on a mountain made of fire, maybe, maybe the rules are a bit different” 

She looked at the sky

“I just wanted him to have a normal life, and a happy childhood. But when your best friend is a seven foot alien and you go into space before your seventh birthday maybe you have to look for happiness where you can get it.” She started tearing up, trying to keep the quaver out of her voice as she continued, “I just don’t want him to forget he’s half human. That there is a whole big world here on Earth for him if he wants it, that he has options for how he wants to live”

Piccolo uncrossed his arms and stood beside Chi-Chi. “I don’t think Gohan could ever be normal, no matter what path he chooses, whether he becomes a scholar or a warrior, or something else entirely, he will be extraordinary”

Chichi smiled

“But in order for him to live among others” Piccolo continued “Gohan needs to be able to control this power, whether or not he chooses to fight with it.’” 

Chichi frowned and sighed, “I know” she patted her bruised side “believe me I know” 

Piccolo nodded. “Do you require Dende or some other healing, I could go and...” 

“No, no, no” Chichi cut him off. “I’m fine, the baby is fine and I am sick and tired of being flown around. I was a fighter once I could handle some minor bruising.”

Piccolo smiled showing off his fangs. “I remember you from the World’s Martial Arts Tournament all those years ago, I suppose we were both there to claim Goku.” 

Chichi stared wide eyed, Was that a joke? Did Piccolo make jokes? Was he trying to relate to her? Was he trying to imply what she thought he was trying to imply? Did Piccolo understand what suggestive language was? Chi-Chi didn’t voice any of these thoughts and hoped she was correct in thinking Piccolo didn’t/couldn’t read minds. Instead she smirked and replied, “The one where you almost killed all my friends and future husband. You’re just lucky you didn’t face me back then. I’d have put up more of a fight then Krillin.”

Piccolo rolled his eyes but continued to smile "I have seen you overpower Goku, but I don’t think you hold quite the same sway over me. Though at the time, I would have forfeited, terrified you’d try to marry me as well.”

That was the final straw and Chi-Chi burst out laughing, and then kept laughing, doubling over. She kept trying to stop laughing looking at Piccolo, who was no longer smiling and looking at her with mild concern and she kept laughing. Piccolo went from amused to annoyed to concerned when Chi-Chi didn’t stop laughing, going so far as to double over and hold her stomach trying to contain it. 

“How’d you hang around here for so many years and I didn’t know you were so funny?” Chi-Chi wheezed from laughing so hard. Trying to catch her breath, and trying not to break back out into giggles. 

“I was being serious,” Piccolo said crossing his arms and looking embarrassed 

Chichi had to bite the inside of her mouth to keep from laughing again. She hadn’t laughed like that in months. Poor Piccolo took himself so seriously. Which made the whole thing even funnier. She felt a bit insane at the sheer range of emotions that she had cycled through in the last twenty four hours.

“I... don’t understand the humour”

“Alright, Alright,” Chi-Chi said, patting a visibly uncomfortable Piccolo on the arm. “Enough humour, we should probably reach an agreement before Gohan wakes up. We will have to negotiate how much time you can train with Gohan.I am not going to let this minor set back put him behind in his schooling. Despite him going Super, Super Saiyan or whatever you call it, my son is getting a proper education. He can’t train all day every day and he needs to be home for dinner and bed, every night, no exceptions.” 

Piccolo nodded. He imagined Gohan would agree to his mother’s terms and Piccolo was not willing to challenge them. Especially since, even though he was baffled by it, Gohan did genuinely enjoy studying and he did not want to take that away from Gohan.

When Chi-Chi did not continue Piccolo cleared his throat “I can also assist you with other things related to, human activities, ones that Goku would normally perform”

It took all her strength not to burst out laughing again. Okay, thought Chi- Chi, mind out of the gutter. “And what kind of activities would those be?” she said trying not to snicker 

“I ... do not know entirely what human things you may need assistance with, but Gohan has informed me pregnant humans do not operate at full strength or stamina, so I can lend you mine” Piccolo crossed his arms again feeling foolish. He hoped he was not blushing at how humiliating this conversation was becoming. 

“But why?” Chi-Chi asked genuinely baffled “ I understand helping Gohan, but why help me? Not to be blunt but I think we both know we’re not friends, we’re barely even friendly” 

Piccolo dug his claws into his arms trying not to betray how difficult this was for him to speak about, “Helping you, helps Gohan.” He grumbled. “Besides I owe Son a debt and can no longer pay it to him” 

Chi-Chi put her hands on her hips and cocked her head looking at Piccolo who was still clearly uncomfortable, wondering what kind of debt he could possibly owe her husband. Neither had any money ever, so it couldn’t have been financial. “So you’re saying you want to help our family out of obligation? 

“I am.” Piccolo said, jaw clenched. Body language ridged. 

Chi-Chi narrowed her eyes, “Well I don’t want your help, anything between you two was settled when Goku died, as far as I’m concerned we’re even. As much as I hate to admit you’ve done anything decent, you’ve saved the world, and you’ve saved my son's life more than once. Why would you think you still owe Goku? You can help Gohan, but I don’t need any help. 

She knew her tone came off judgmental and dismissive , but Chi-Chi was also genuinely curious. Piccolo was normally such an enigma, she felt like she was close to cracking his stone cold façade, that or he would completely shut down, double down on being a villain and never speak of this with her again. Chi-Chi guessed she had a fifty-fifty shot at either outcome. 

Piccolo idly considered running into the house, kidnapping Gohan and flying away, the repercussions could not possibly be as mortifying as trying to explain his emotional debt he owed Goku to his widow, not ten minutes after she had openly laughed at him for reasons beyond his comprehension. He took a deep breath trying to draw on whatever was left of Kami’s patience in his psyche. 

Piccolo stumbled over his words. 

How could he convince her that his obligation extended even beyond Goku’s death? How could he explain a feeling that he himself didn’t understand. That the closest he had ever come to feeling like he had belonged somewhere was when he was training with Goku and Gohan. It was the only time in his life he hadn’t been alone, that there was someone to greet in the morning and someone to say goodbye to in the evening. That he had felt like he was part of a unit that was not just himself. That he selfishly didn’t want to let that feeling of belonging go. Piccolo sighed. And felt his face heat as he tried to explain the urge that drove him to not only offer to help Gohan, but also Chi-Chi when he had been informed that the family would soon be adding another member. How could he explain that he wanted to be a part of the child’s life so that it would learn not to look at him and see a monster? 

Piccolo looked away and clenched his fists to keep from nervously fiddling with his cape. “Even when I was a villain, he never looked at me like one, he saw me as an equal, a fellow warrior. I never knew what to do with that. I didn’t know how to return that.... kindness, when he was alive. So now, if I can, assist, I can repay him. And repay you as well for letting me, stay near them.”

Chi-Chi bit her lip and pushed down her rising maternal instinct. She knew Piccolo wouldn’t appreciate her getting emotional and she had already pushed her luck by hugging Piccolo once. She also knew she was one of those people who had looked at Piccolo like a villain and monster, long after he had stopped acting like one, she had also yelled it at him, on several fairly recent occasions when Gohan and Goku had returned battered from training. Even though she had mentioned his own redeemable actions, had she ever forgiven Piccolo? Was she capable of the wholesale forgiveness that came so easily to Goku and Gohan? 

She had heard Piccolo grumble for years about having to endure her husband and son every day to the point where she had internalized that he didn’t like people and that he wanted to be alone. Clearly he didn’t. Clearly he was protesting too much. She thought back to how at ease Piccolo looked in the candid photos, when he picked up Gohan and Goku for training, and when he dropped them home at dinner. How she saw him flash rare smiles and acquiesce to coming inside and drinking water as the family ate and Gohan talked excitedly about their day. He would never come out and say in so many words that he was lonely. But he was. 

And she was too. 

“Well, when you put it that way”, Chi-Chi gave a lopsided smile “I accept” 

“You, do?” Piccolo said, genuinely shocked. 

“Yes clearly you owe a great debt to my family, so I accept your offer of help, at least until this baby is born. You can help around the house, and help my son get a handle of his power, however long that takes.” 

“Around...the.. House? I suppose I can look after the perimeter of the home” Piccolo nodded gravely. 

Chi-Chi rubbed her forehead. “We will also be working on your understanding of what exactly human activities are.” 

Piccolo stood confused, and terrified he had made an error in judgement in accepting to take on human domestic activities. But before he could renege on his commitment and before Chi-Chi could clarify where exactly around the house was located, the door opened with a small creak and a very disheveled Gohan walked out onto the lawn. 

“Oh Gohan” Chi-Chi cried, running up to embrace her son. “Sweetie are you okay? Are you hurt? Tired? Hungry?” 

“I’m sorry” Gohan squeaked from inside his mother’s arms. “I’m sorry, I heard what they were saying and I couldn’t stop my brain from going to a bad place, and I hurt you and Mr. Piccolo and the town and all those people.” Gohan said, starting to cry in his mothers arms. Embarrassed at his own tears, especially in front of Piccolo. He tried futilely to stop them from coming. Chi-Chi let go of her embrace, and smoothed down Gohan’s wild hair. She wondered how long her poor son’s mind had been going to that bad place. The one that would let him possibly think Goku’s death was his fault. 

Gohan gave them both a small tear stained smile, before he began to fiddle with his shirt hem and look at the ground frowning. “Do, do you hate me now? Now that you know how terrible I am?”

“Gohan no!” Chi-Chi cried and she heard Piccolo’s deep voice say “No” decisively behind her. 

Gohan looked at them both. Willing himself to believe them. That the two most important people in his life could still love him, even after he had lost control, again. 

“Me and Piccolo don’t agree on anything” Chi-Chi said, grasping Gohan’s hands in hers. “But we both agree that we could never hate you, ever.” She felt Piccolo walk next to her and Gohan. He placed a clawed hand protectively on Gohan’s shoulder. 

“ Your mother is, correct, Gohan” he mumbled. 

“I feel like sometimes it’s too strong.” Gohan continued through tears, clenching his mother’s hands. “That I’m not strong enough to handle it, or control it, like it’s going to to take over me and I’ll hurt everyone around me .”

Chichi started to speak but Piccolo’s deep, authoritative voice rang out, cutting her off. “Those feelings are strong, but you are also strong. If you are not strong enough to handle them now, then you will get stronger. I didn’t teach you to give up when things are hard, nor did I teach you to fear your own ability. That is why we train, to master our abilities, and you won’t fail. Your mother and your new sibling need you to succeed. They need you to be here for them.” 

“Yes, Sir” Gohan replied, but Chi-Chi saw that he still looked unsure. 

“Piccolo needs you too,” Chichi added definitively. Looking at Piccolo daring him to disagree and lie to her son.“Really?” Gohan hiccuped as he wiped his eyes on his torn shirt. Turning towards Piccolo eyes shining with adoration. 

Piccolo turned pale green, then a deep shade of purple, he bared his fangs, but eventually grumbled, “ Yes of course, I also.... do ....” 

Gohan’s face shone and Chi-Chi smirked. “And when you can’t be strong, Piccolo and I are here to be strong for you” she said, placing her hands on his shoulders.

“Both of you?” Gohan said skeptically, looking from his mentor to his mother and back. Wondering what exactly had happened between them while he had slept. 

Piccolo and Chi-Chi glanced at each other and nodded at Gohan. “We may disagree on what is best, but we do agree that what you need is the most important, to both of us.” Chi-Chi smiled at both Piccolo and Gohan. Gohan beamed at them both, and she saw one corner of Piccolo’s mouth tug upwards into a smile. 

“You must be starving after all of that,” Chi-Chi said dusting off her dress. Gohan nodded enthusiastically. “Well then I suppose I should start cooking” she laughed. 

“Can Piccolo stay? For tonight?” Gohan looked at his mother and mentor hopefully. 

“He is more than welcome to stay as long as he wants,” Chi-Chi said, shocking herself with how sincerely she meant that statement. 

“I will stay as long as you need,” Piccolo said solemnly. Chichi watched as her son grabbed the hand of a very disconcerted Piccolo and dragged him toward the house. She followed behind and laughed when she arrived in the kitchen to Gohan showing Piccolo how to set a table. Piccolo’s entire fist enveloping a fork as he inspected it. 

Dinner wasn’t elaborate, and Chi-Chi was thankful Piccolo didn’t eat since the groceries they had bought earlier that day were still strewn around on the ground in town. She made a mental note of quietly ask her father to deliver some for her, Chi-Chi was not ready to go back into town for a good, long time. She sighed over her leftovers. But as she watched Gohan inhale his food and Piccolo stare intently at his water, she felt more hopeful than she had in a long time. Despite the day's events and the uncertain future, Chi-Chi was aware that for the first time in months her house felt like a home that even though the people gathered around the table weren’t the same as they were before. That things would never go back to normal for the three of them, and that a fourth person would be joining them before they knew it. If they worked at it, together they could be a family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter wraps up the main story. The chapter to follow will be more vignette, epilogue material. Thoughts? Opinions? Absolutely hated it? Let me know.


	4. Extended Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This seems to keep getting longer and longer. I figured the vignettes I wanted to do worked better separate from the Epilogue (or at least my plan for the epilogue) So here are five interconnected mini chapters. Please enjoy, also please appreciate how I bent over backwards to keep consistent naming conventions even though no one asked for or wanted them! 
> 
> -V

\-------------------------------------Family Planning ——-----------------------------------------

Piccolo cleared his throat and finally said what had been on his mind these many months. “May I ask a personal question,” as soon as he said it he was already imagining all the ways in which his question could be taken as inappropriate 

Chi-chi lowered her book, hesitated not knowing exactly how to answer, but eventually her curiosity over what Piccolo, of all people, would define as a personal question won out. “Yesssss?” She said stretching out the last syllable, indicating that even though he was lightyears more powerful than her, she would not hesitate to get her frying pan out if she needed to. 

“It has been seven months and you seem uncomfortable in your pregnancy.” Piccolo said slowly. 

“Yes” Chi-Chi felt her already thin patience wear even thinner. She was too pregnant for what seemed to be Piccolo offering unsolicited advice. 

“Why do you simply not lay the egg and complete it’s gestation outside of your body.” Piccolo finished, the tips of his ears turning purple, Chi-Chi had not talked about her plan for laying the egg so he felt awkward bringing it up, but if she was worried about someone guardianing it as it finished hatching he was more than happy to help. 

Chi-Chi forgot all about being annoyed as she yelped, “I’m sorry, THE WHAT?” 

Piccolo looked confused,and even more embarrassed, the purple tint spreading from his ears to his face, “Gohan explained that humans also reproduced via fertilizing eggs, so would it not be easier to have the egg now? Instead of experiencing further discomfort. The shell surely would be hardened by now and I can guard it if you don’t think you can commit the time to brood the egg properly.” 

Chi-Chi opened her mouth and shut it. How did she even go about explaining this. Bad enough she had to teach her own husband how babies were made, at least with Goku it was an interactive lesson. And she was working with familiar parts. Piccolo seemed like he had not absorbed Gohan’s lesson on human biology, and from his talk of brooding eggs did not have much in common with human biology. 

“Piccolo weren't you the god of earth? Shouldn’t you know how human babies are born? At least in an abstract way? Because I assumed you did, and this is something you really, really need to know if you are going to help me with birthing this baby.”

Piccolo immediately felt defensive. He hadn’t been merged that long with Kami and had not had the time or leisure to access his memories around Earthling customs. He realized Chi-Chi likely did not know how fusion worked so she had assumed he had fully absorbed Kami’s centuries long knowledge of humanity. He coughed awkwardly trying to find a way out of this conversation. “I suppose if I actively searched through Kami’s memories I could get some idea of how it is different from Namekian reproduction.”

“Yes you go do that” Chi-Chi said, making a shooing motion with her hands and picking her book back up. Piccolo went outside began to meditate under his favourite tree on the edge of the Son property. Chi-Chi continued her reading. Just lay the egg, she laughed to herself, oh boy if only it were that easy. 

It was twenty minutes later and Chi-Chi had just sat back down with a cup of tea when she heard Piccolo bellow “WHAT” loud enough that the windows rattled. He arrived in the doorway shortly after looking a sickly pale shade of green, sweating and visibly shaken, “That can't possibly be right, humans are born, like that?!” Piccolo stammered all of his usual decorum completely gone. 

“Based on your reaction I’m pretty sure what you saw was right” Chi-Chi sipped her tea calmly. Hiding her smirk behind her cup. 

Piccolo slumped bonelessly into a chair looking at her seriously, and with a bit of awe “You are much stronger than I have given you credit for.” Piccolo said running his hands over his temples. 

“You’re damn right I am,” Chi-Chi said, patting her stomach and calling for Gohan to put the kettle on again for Piccolo. He needed a strong cup of tea after all this. 

Piccolo sat in disbelief at the images Kami’s memories contained and thanked whatever higher gods were listening that he did not possess human or Saiyan anatomy. 

\-------------------------------------Family Finances ——-----------------------------------------

Piccolo watched over Dende as he surveyed the Earth below the Look Out checking in and adjusting the invisible energies that the Earth, and its inhabitants produced. “You’re a quick study,” Piccolo said as Dende made a small adjustment to an air current over the ocean, reducing the harm of a nearby storm system. 

“Thank you” Dende said, blushing and bowing, praise from Piccolo was rare and highly valued, “it’s because of your excellent teaching.” 

Part of Piccolo was pleased at the complement, Piccolo assumed that was some leftover impulse from Kami since another part was mortified at the amount of deference from the younger Namekian. He was comfortable mentoring fighters, but mentoring a God felt slightly antithetical to his past life as a Demon King. 

After the lesson Piccolo walked with Dende over to the great library on the Lookout and watched him pull down thick tomes on Earth’s history. Dende thanked Piccolo for the day’s lesson and settled into his favourite armchair. Expecting to hear Piccolo leave the room immediately after Dende was settled, he was surprised when Piccolo made no motion to leave. 

Piccolo cleared his throat embarrassed to be asking Dende such a question, unfortunately he had tried looking into Kami’s memories and found them out of date or lacking on the subject. “Do you know of any resources on human currency? ” 

“ Human currency? Dende tried to hide his shock that Piccolo would ask about such a strange subject. Piccolo rarely asked things of him and he wanted to be of assistance. “Give me a moment” Dende hopped up and walked to a shelf and brought back a slim colourful book titled _“Money and me: a first guide to money”_ , he held it out hoping Piccolo would be impressed at his efficiency and his selection. “Will this do’?” 

Piccolo turned it over in his hand and nodded at Dende before exiting the library clutching the book, with a dramatic swoosh of his cape. 

Why in the world would Piccolo need to know about human currency? Dende mused as he watched Piccolo go. He would find out eventually he supposed and shrugged into his armchair as he settled in for the evening.

The next morning Piccolo stood outside the West City Bank waiting for it to open. He had dressed in his most inconspicuous outfit, losing the shoulder pads and adding a hood and long sleeves to his outfit to hide his most alien features. He saw the few humans passing by stare anyway. Piccolo gritted his teeth. He hated being in the city, having this many humans around him made his skin crawl. The noises, even in the early morning were overwhelming him. The sooner he could get this over with the better. 

He tried to remain calm. Reminding himself that this was for the Son’s. He had heard Chi-Chi speaking in a quiet sobbing whisper on the telephone to someone about a lack of money the previous evening as he dropped Gohan off post training. He knew he was not meant to overhear this conversation, but it seemed dire and while Piccolo would normally not concern himself with such human affairs, Chi-Chi had mentioned this lack of money complicating things with her soon to be born baby as well as impacting Gohan’s educational pursuits. Both of which were unacceptable. 

Piccolo continued to stand outside the bank, determined to assist with the issue. He has skimmed the book Dende gave him and he was glad he had. Apparently humans no longer traded predominantly with gold and silver, but with paper currency, commonly referred to as money and that money came from these ‘Banks.’ When the doors opened Piccolo strolled in with false confidence and made his way up to a woman in a small glass box. Likely the keeper of the money.Piccolo stared down at the woman occupying the box, hoping she knew the proper way to initiate this interaction.

“May I help you” the teller, said in a small voice, who was busy thinking to herself that she hadn’t had enough coffee this morning. She stood staring up at the giant man in a full cloak who had walked up. Was it just her, or did his skin look green? No, probably just the lighting. 

“ Yes”, a deep, and mildly terrifying voice rumbled from the cloaked figure. “ I would like a large amount of money.” 

“I’m sorry what?” Said the teller, was her mind playing tricks on her, first the man was green, then he just growled at her that he wants money? Was she being pranked? 

“I would like a large amount of money,” the large man repeated slowly. Deliberately. Clenching fists with nails so long the teller would have almost called them claws. 

“Yes, okay, can I see your bank card please?” The teller said she was not paid enough for this.But she figured it was easier to try to be professional with this gigantic stanger. 

“I do not possess a bank card” the man almost growled. “Well I can help you open a bank account today” said the exasperated teller, trying to make sense this insane interaction as she ducked down to get the various brochures on different account types 

“I ...” Piccolo began but was interrupted by the doors to the bank slamming open and five humans wearing black clothing and masks burst in waiving firearms. 

“Give us all your money” the man with the largest firearm shouted, shooting bullets into the ceiling. Piccolo winced as the sharp sound of gunfire echoed into his ears. The woman in the box had ducked down, brochures flying to the floor , and was furiously pressing a red button under her desk. Piccolo sighed, how he was going to get money with these interruptions? He looked around the bank and saw all of the humans cowering in booths and behind tables as the men in black masks came toward him. 

“Hey buddy?” The man with the largest gun approached Piccolo, “get the hell out of the way unless you want to die!” 

Piccolo raised an eye ridge that someone would dare speak to him that way. “I am in line, you will have to wait.” Piccolo said simply hoping that the other humans would stop their ruckus and allow him to get money and leave. The book had stressed that waiting your turn at the bank was very important. 

“Oh wow boys did you hear that? This overgrown loser had a deathwish,” the man turned and laughed with his companions. He then pointed his gun square at Piccolo’s chest and opened fire.

Piccolo caught the bullets easily, not wanting them to ricochet off him and hit any humans. He dropped them to the floor as he reached out and bent the gun in half before dropping it and the bullets to the floor. Piccolo made short work of all the masked men making sure to only incapacitate them.He imagined the bank staff would not be amenable to murder, most humans were not. As snapped the last gun in half he heard the sound of applause. Looking around he saw the formerly cowering humans clapping. For him? 

Piccolo was perplexed and became even more confused as a large Tiger-man in a suit and tie came out from one of the glass boxes and began to shake his hand furiously. Introducing himself as the owner of the bank. 

“Is there anything I can do to thank you?” the Tiger-man growled as he relinquished Piccolo’s hand, finally. Piccolo sighed and repeated his extremely simple request. “ I would like a large amount of money” He now knew why Chi-Chi had made it sound like acquiring money was so difficult. These people were all ridiculous. 

The tiger-man paused before nodding furiously and rushing behind a booth and handing Piccolo a bag full of what he assumed was human paper currency. Piccolo heard the wail of sirens outside the bank and rubbed underneath with the hand not holding the bag. He hoped whatever was in the bag was worth the headache he was going to have from what had transpired today. Without acknowledging the bank staff or the police rushing into the building Piccolo quickly exited the and rocketed towards the Son home hoping that was the last time he would ever have to visit a bank and cursing himself for not studying the book more closely since he had been wholly unprepared for the way that banks worked. 

Chi-Chi heard Piccolo arrive, while she was outside hanging laundry. “I have left you something out front. I will not be able to stay today.” He called from the front of the house before taking off back into the sky. All Piccolo wanted now was a peaceful meditation by the waterfall after the day's events. 

“Thank you” Chi-Chi called as she hung the last of the laundry. Slowly walking toward the front, she assumed Piccolo had brought an animal or fish he had killed for dinner. What she did not expect to see was a burlap sack with a bank logo sitting on her front step, absolutely stuffed with money. 

Before Chi-Chi could question what the heck was going on Gohan burst outside,

“Mom I just turned on the news! Piccolo stopped a bank robbery! Like a superhero!” 

Chi-Chi looked at the bag of money, and then at her son who continued to point at the television still on in the living room showing a tall, suspiciously Piccolo-esque figure thwarting five armed robbers single handedly. Catching bullets, snapping guns in half and saving fifteen civilians. 

She smiled ushering Gohan inside to watch the rest of the footage.She was thankful, confused, and absolutely certain that Piccolo would refuse to answer any and all questions about what happened today. Whatever happened it had led to her having enough money to not have to worry about Gohan’s schooling, her food budget or new baby expenses for a few years at least. Piccolo may not have been a superhero in the way Gohan was excited about his being, but for today he was her superhero. 

\-------------------------------------Family Car——-----------------------------------------

Chi-Chi was scared, no not scared she was terrified. She was also trying very hard to keep herself together so as not to upset Goten who played on the floor with his blocks oblivious to her panic. _They should have been back by now,_ she thought miserably pacing the living room. They should have been back hours ago, why would it take this long? She dusted the cabinet for the third time that day trying to distract herself. When Gohan and Piccolo left that morning she had been nervous but had been comforted by reminding herself this is what the two of them had been training for, but now her mind jumped to every horrible thing that could have possibly happened. 

When she finally heard the door open she rushed to the foyer immediately. “Hi mom,” Gohan said sheepishly as she ran to greet him. Piccolo following behind looking grim

“ Please tell me you have good news?” Chi-Chi implored wringing her apron in anticipation. 

“ Well yes and no,” Gohan laughed nervously, “it was definitely more of an ordeal then we thought it would be.” 

“Hmph” Piccolo added crossing his arms tightly “An understatement.” 

“Did you know Piccolo isn’t allowed within a thousand feet of the Driving Test Centre, like legally? After what happened last time, they have posters of his face and everything!” Gohan laughed. “And when they found out that I was a Son, well I had to sign a lot of waivers, a whole lot of waivers” 

“Ridiculous,” Piccolo scoffed, “of all the terrible, demonic things I have done, I get recognized because I crashed, one or two cars?” Chi-Chi sighed in relief, no wonder it took so long. She hadn’t anticipated the fallout from Goku and Piccolo learning to drive to last this many years. 

“But did you pass the test?” Chi-Chi asked hopefully. Gohan had worked so hard this past year, begging Piccolo to teach him, asking Bulma for a capsule car to practice on, and then a second capsule car to practice on. The first car had been ruined when Goten decided he also wanted to “learn to drive “ and picked up the car and threw it at a tree. 

Gohan beamed and flashed the small square of plastic that certified him as a licensed driver. Chi-Chi gave him a big hug and nodded up at Piccolo who looked on with his usual muted pride. 

“Well this calls for a feast!” Chi-Chi went towards the kitchen. “Make sure you call your grandfather and tell him the great news,” she reminded Gohan as she herded her son and Piccolo into the kitchen. Goten having heard the word feast came running and latched himself like a barnacle onto Piccolo’s legs asking his brother rapid fire questions about his day . “What colour was the car? Did Mr Piccolo drive too? How far did you throw the car?

Piccolo extracted Goten from his shin as Gohan tried his best to answer the questions while also reinforcing that you did not pick up cars, and didn’t we have a long talk about that already? Chi-Chi started pulling out ingredients from the fridge and handing them to Piccolo to wash and chop something that had become a well choreographed routine over the years. Even though Piccolo didn’t eat he was a surprisingly competent sous-chef. 

“Mr Piccolo will you teach me to drive one day too?” Goten asked from next to Piccolo reaching up. Piccolo put down the food and picked up Goten placing him on the counter. “Sure thing kid, maybe by then they’ll even let me in the building again.” 

“Can you teach me how to fly too?”

Piccolo laughed, remembering a very intense Chi-Chi absolutely forbidding Goten from learning how to fly before he was six when Piccolo had brought up beginning to train him. “That’s a question for your mom kid, you know that.” 

Chi-Chi rolled her eyes picturing the absolute mayhem that would ensue if her preschool aged son, already accident prone and too adventurous for his own or anyone else's good, harnessed the power of flight. Chi-Chi smiled as she watched Piccolo try to stop Goten from devouring his pile of vegetables. And as Gohan re-lived his experience taking the driving test to his grandfather on the phone. 

The kitchen was warm and she felt the last of her earlier fear dissipate. Everything would be fine. Everyone was going to be fine. Everyone was home safe. Her family would be alright, even if her boys were growing up more quickly then she had expected them too.

\-------------------------------------Family Feud——-----------------------------------------

“Mooooooom I want to train with Mr Piccolo not you” Goten whined stamping his small feet in the dirt. Chi-Chi sighed and folded her arms across her chest doing her best Piccolo impression. “ Piccolo is helping Dende today so you’re stuck with me kiddo. You need exercise and I’m sure I can show you a move or two that even Piccolo doesn’t know.”

Goten looked at her with more skepticism then she thought a six year old should be able to manage and stuck out his bottom lip. “ No, I want Piccolo.” He crossed his arms mirroring her pose.

Ever since she had allowed Piccolo to start training Goten earlier that year he had become obsessed with fighting. She hadn’t exactly been surprised since Goten had been begging incessantly to start training as soon as he was old enough to understand where his older brother and Piccolo went off to without him twice a week. Chi-Chi had eventually relented and Goten had taken to martial arts immediately. He definitely inherited Goku’s looks and fighting aptitude, though from the tantrum he was throwing Chi-Chi realized he may have also inherited her stubbornness. 

“That’s enough Goten. What would Piccolo say if he saw you causing such a scene?” Goten continued to pout and sat down cross legged on the ground in silent protest against his regular teacher being occupied. 

“ Fine,” Chi-Chi said, eventually realizing that she needed a new tactic to motivate Goten.“Little boys who don’t train also don’t get to eat dessert after their dinner.”

“What?” Goten cried, leaping to his feet “but that’s not fair!”

“No training, no dessert” Chi-Chi said triumphantly placing her hands on her hips. Expecting Goten to crack instantly. What she did not expect was Goten to look at her in concentrated anger. Tiny fists clenched in anger. She definitely did not expect, seconds later, for his eyes to turn blue and his hair burst gold

“Wait WHAT?!” Chi-Chi yelled, running over to her now Super Saiyan six year old son. Goten’s anger was replaced with confusion as his mother ran over, knelt down and started running her fingers through his hair, “Mom my hair feels tingly” Goten laughed as his mother started at him in disbelief 

“You don’t feel mad or sad? Sweetie, normally going Super Saiyan is really hard” Chi-Chi asked, trying not to let on how terrified she was at her son’s transformation. Trying not to remember how terrible becoming a Super Saiyan had left Gohan feeling. 

“I’m sad I don’t get dessert,'' Goten said simply. “ Unless I get dessert now since I did the tingly hair thing.” He gazed at her hopefully with big brown eyes. 

Chi-Chi wondered internally if she was setting a bad parenting example by giving in when technically Goten was not training. But then again her son had just become the youngest Super Saiyan in history, which was a pretty big accomplishment. “Not tonight, unless you get your hair back to normal and train with me.” Goten frowned slightly, eyes becoming misty. Chi-Chi tried to stop the waterworks by quickly adding, “ Tell you what kiddo, if you do this again when Piccolo comes over I will bake an entire cake just for you.” 

Goten pondered the offer seriously and took a deep breath, his tiny face screwed up in concentration and easily powered down from Super Saiyan. Chi-Chi felt the air tingle with static electricity and then return to normal. She sighed in relief, Goten seemed to somehow be unchanged from his transformation. “Can you go Super Saiyan mom?” 

“No sweetie, that’s a special thing for Saiyans, not humans, but your father could, and Gohan can.” 

“What about Mr Vegeta and Trunks?” 

“Vegeta can, I’m not sure about Trunks” Chi-Chi shuddered imagining all the new kinds of trouble a super Saiyan Trunks and Goten could get into. Though she imagined if Trunks had gone Super Saiyan Bulma would have let her know. Or Vegeta would have bragged non-stop to Piccolo about it. “Well then we should get to our regular training, I can’t wait for you to show Piccolo what you can do. He will be very impressed.”

“Really!” Goten smiled dropping into a fighting stance. “Really” Chi-Chi smiled, mirroring her son's stance. 

Later that evening after dinner, and dessert was had and the dishes were washed Piccolo stopped by the Son house. Sensing him landing in the yard Goten ran out, immediately excited to show off his new trick. Chi-Chi followed behind and met Piccolo on the lawn who looked embarrassed to be caught in mid-hug with Goten. Blushing purple Piccolo stood up and crossed his arms “Gohan not here?” 

“He’s babysitting for Krillen and 18 tonight.” Chi-Chi smiled. Apparently it was their anniversary, Chi-Chi was happy Krillen had settled down with someone, even if that someone was an incredibly intimidating cyborg. 

Piccolo nodded down at Goten, “Did you train today?”

“Yes sir” Goten giggled barely able to contain his excitement 

Piccolo looked at Chi-Chi skeptically, something was off with this situation but he could not figure out what it was.“Not only did Goten train with me, but I think I may be a better Martial arts teacher then you” Chi-Chi smiled smugly up at Piccolo. 

“Oh” Piccolo raised an eyeridge snorting 

“Goten, sweetie show Mr Piccolo what mommy taught you today.”

They both turned to Goten whose smile had turned into a look of intense concentration. He thought about how sad he had been to hear he may not get dessert, and how unfair it was that Piccolo couldn’t train with him whenever he wanted, and before long he could feel his whole body vibrate and crackle and his hair start tingling. 

Chi-Chi kept her eyes on Piccolo as he watched Goten with confusion, then shock, then stunned disbelief as his eyes bugged further out, and finally completely baffled as his jaw dropped to the floor. 

“Look Mr Piccolo I am a Souper Saiyan” Goten posed triumphantly. 

“Ho....how?” Piccolo finally managed as Goten ran circles around him showing off punches and kicks. 

“I got really mad and it just kinda happened” Goten shrugged 

“Were you two in danger? Did something happen? Why didn’t I sense anything?” Piccolo sputtered. 

“Well to be honest all I did was tell him he couldn’t have any dessert tonight if he didn’t train with me, and here we are” Chi-Chi smiled at Piccolo’s continued disbelief. 

“That’s it?!” Piccolo turned to her stunned 

“That’s it.” Chi-Chi shrugged 

Piccolo opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again, then shook his head and finally grumbled something under his breath about “....kids these days.” Chi-Chi laughed and Goten looked at Piccolo seriously and a little hesitantly. “Aren’t you impressed Mr Piccolo, mommy said you’d be impressed.” 

Goten’s question seemed to shock Piccolo out of his Super Saiyan induced existential crisis, he smiled and looked down at Goten, “ I am.... pleased with your progress, we will need to teach you how to properly deal with this increase in power.”

Goten beamed at Piccolo and Piccolo was struck just how much Goten resembled his father, right down to the same Super Saiyan hairstyle and smile that lit up his whole face. “Ooh that’s right” Goten said clenching his fists, “ I need to call Trunks and tell him about my new trick, maybe I can teach him how to be Souper Saiyan too!” and with that he turned and ran toward the house. 

Chi-Chi turned to Piccolo who was still clearly in a state of shock. “So, how about that.” 

“I can’t believe he went Super Saiyan over dessert, Krillen had to die for Goku, Gohan had to be pushed to his absolute limit for a year and Goten just needed to be threatened with no dessert?” 

“Well to be fair I did make a pie,” Chi-Chi said by way of explanation, “and that is his favourite.” 

Piccolo shook his head and sighed “You’re going to have your hands full with this one” 

Chi-Chi leaned over and patted Piccolo on the arm reassuringly, “ I think you mean we’re going to have our hands full.” 

\-------------------------------------Family Recipe——-----------------------------------------

Chi-Chi couldn’t sense chi, even though she liked to say she had a mother’s sense. For example she could tell who had entered the house by sound. Goten’s stomping run, unable to wait before rushing into the house, Gohan’s quiet shuffle as he changed into his slippers and Piccolo’s soft footsteps, impossibly quiet for someone as tall as he was. Which was what she heard enter the house long having dispensed with the formality of knocking. 

Chi-Chi didn’t look up from her sewing as she Piccolo walked into the living room. “How was the lookout?

“Fine,” Piccolo replied noncommittally, “Dende is progressing quickly.” 

“Good for him” Chi-Chi smiled, he’s a nice young man. Also Bulma is bringing Trunks for a sleepover tonight, so we are going to need more meat then usual tonight if that’s okay?”

Piccolo nodded, hunting was not his favourite chore he performed for the Son family but feeding two half saiyans necessitated the activity weekly. He was reasonably proud of his skill and efficiency at the task even though it was simple enough to kill and dress an animal. “Is Gohan assisting this time? I can’t sense him in the area.”

Chi-Chi looked up at Piccolo conspiratorially, “He says he’s out with a school friend today, but my mother’s intuition tells me it’s a girl.” She said wiggling her eyebrows up and down.

Piccolo did not share her excitement and said flatly, “I do not see how the gender of his classmates would matter in this instance.”

Chi-Chi rolled her eyes, “Piccolo you’re no fun to gossip with. Luckily Bulma will be excited to hear my news about Gohan’s potential lady friend.” Chi-Chi smiled to herself hoping Gohan had the good sense to fall in love with one of his rich classmates. 

“Humph” was Piccolo’s answer as he ignored her excitement and strode into the kitchen to get the tools for preparing the animals for consumption. 

Chi-Chi looked back down at the coat she was mending. Until she heard the distinctive sound of shattering enamel. Followed by a very upset hiss from Piccolo. Followed by a very quiet, “God damn it not again”. She heard Piccolo’s soft footsteps walking around the kitchen cleaning up the shattered remains. 

Sighing, she pulled out her phone and texted Bulma that she was going to need her to bring over another rice cooker. At this point Chi-Chi thought she knew better than to leave it out on the counter on days Piccolo came. 


End file.
